“Yes, that’s true,” I said, panting and hoping to keep emotion out of my voice. Trying for a relationship wasn’t an option, not with my brother being his best friend and the way Cooper went through women. We wouldn’t last more than a month and then…no. Our weekend on the cruise would be etched in my mind forever, but that was all it could be. All I could afford.
Because Cooper would end things eventually and cause a rift between us.
“Are we done tomorrow then? Because Daniella, I don’t want to be.” He stilled his finger and looked down at me with heat. I was desperate for him to continue, but the heat in his eyes gave me pause. If he was using all his moves to catch my attention, it worked.
“Cooper, please,” I begged, but he didn’t move his finger against me.
“I want to try this with you. All of this.”
“Like, fuck buddies?” I said, hating how needy I sounded because he stopped. “Or?”
“I’m thinking theoroption.” He moved his fingers again, harder and faster this time. “Fall apart for me right here where everyone can see you.”
“Cooper,” I whispered, trying my best to clamp my mouth shut. I shut my eyes, and he stopped.
“No, watch me pleasure you.”
The orgasm hit me hard. Seeing Cooper’s slack jaw sent me into a frenzy. The urge to scream was almost painful as my body shook. I panted and rode it out, his pupils dilating as he watched me. He never stopped moving his fingers until I blinked a few times and let out a long breath.
“Jesus.”
“I want to date you,” he said.
He could’ve told me he was a wizard with six arms and that would’ve surprised me less.
“Date me?”
“Yes.” He licked his bottom lip and pulled me over so I sat on his lap. “I know you better than you think, and I’m positive you want me. Let’s give it a shot.”
“But my brother,” I said, knowing the argument was weak. He would hurt me eventually, and Sam would have to take my side… making an issue with his best friend. There was just no way this was worth the hurt. Cooper’s reputation with the ladies wasgreatin the bedroom but that was it. “Sam…”
“Yeah. We’ll have to deal with that, but I’m willing to if you are.” He lifted my chin with his fingers and pressed a soft kiss on me. “It’s up to you, but I’m not okay with just fooling around.”
“You? King of flings? You don’t want a friends-with-benefits situation?”
“Not. With. You.”
He kissed me hard and long, like he had all the time in the world to just taste me. His slow strokes of the tongue and soft touches had me delirious, and the twinkling stars above us danced in the ink black sky. My heart pounded with the severity of each kiss. Each one offered promises, but I wasn’t sure I could do a relationship with him.
“Cooper, god,” I said, pulling back from his mouth. “I don’t know.”
Wrong answer.
His eyes tightened on the sides, and he took a deep breath. “What are you afraid of?”
“Sam not forgiving me, you, us. If it doesn’t work out, then we’re stuck together hating each other.”
“Would this be different than what we were doing before this trip?”
“Yes, because it would hurt more.”
“You’re assuming it won’t work out,” he said, his tone displeased and hard. “It could, you know.”
I sighed and hated the pain on his face when I didn’t say anything. “Let’s just enjoy tonight, and tomorrow we’ll figure it out.”
He knew exactly what I was doing--avoiding the end, and he let me. He guided us back to our room and showed me over and over how good we were together.
I just had a decision to make the next day, and no matter what I chose, someone would be hurt.
